Silver Millennium Love
by Skye's Wind
Summary: Love is never easy. Shoujoai. HarukaMichiru, AmiMakoto, ReiMinako, SerenitySetsuna, UsagiEndymion and the last pair you'll figure out in the first chapter.
1. Prologue: Leaving

**Sorano** (Of the sky) - Haruka's mother

**Kana** (Powerful) - Haruka's father

**Takako** (Child of Taka. Taka- Tall, honorable) - Makoto's mother

**Raidon** (Thunder God) - Makoto's father

**Kyoshi** (Gentile, polite; purity) - Ami's father

**Kaiya** (Forgiveness) - Ami's mother

**Yumi** (Beauty) - Minako's mother

**Toyo** (Plentiful) - Minako's father

**Ronin** (Samurai without a master) – Rei's father

**Umeko** (Patient) - Rei's mother

**Namiko** (Child of Nami. Nami- Wave) - Michiru's mother

**Yasashiku** (Gentle, polite) - Michiru's father

**Endymion**- Mamoru (Earth)

**Princess Serenity **- Usagi (Moon)

**Queen Serenity **- Usagi's mother

**Ayame** (Iris) – Hotaru's mother

**Miki** (Beautiful tree) – Mamoru's mother

**Kisho** (One who knows his own mind) – Mamoru's father

AN- These are the names I've made for each parent (and their meaning). If their actual names are known, I'm sorry for any inconveniences. Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or any characters from the anime/ manga.

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**Prologue: Leaving**

The morning sun drenched the courtyard with warmth, its rays lingering on the many roses surrounding the stone fountain. A dew drop fell silently from a red petal onto the dusty stone ground; the constant wind often bringing unwanted dry dirt. Rapid, but light footsteps on the hard ground could be heard until they reached the courtyard. The young woman carefully looked around examining her surroundings.

'_This'll do._' Hearing the sound of feet recklessly pounding against the stone path, the sandy haired girl turned to face her opponent.

"You told me silence is key when following someone." The corner of the girl's mouth twitched slightly upward.

"You've grown faster. If you lose the person you are following, what is the point of being silent? Don't forget who taught you such things, **_daughter_**." The tall man's teal eyes held a glint of mischief, one matched only by his daughter.

"Are you telling me you're getting slow in your old age?" Taking a defensive stance, Haruka waited for her father's attack.

Kana suppressed a laugh as he ran towards the young woman. Suspecting his attack, Haruka stepped back, dodging his right fist. The older man shifted his body weight to kick, but such an obvious move was easily blocked. Haruka took the opening to sweep kick her father off the only foot he had secure to the ground. As Kana fell to the earth he was able to kick the back of Haruka's legs with enough force to cause her to fall as well. Within seconds Kana was on top of the sandy haired girl. Fighting quickly turned into wrestling. Flipping onto her stomach, Haruka struggled to her knees and finally to her feet. Once both fighters were standing, Kana took the initiative to change holds. He unlocked his hands from around the girl's torso and brought them under her armpits, leaving her arms useless. Or so he thought. If he had been able to seen his daughter's face, he would've known better. Locking her hands together, Haruka first leaned back into her father, and then with all her strength, catapulted him over her head. Kana landed with a loud thud.

"What in gods are you two doing!" The motherly voice stopped the girl from pouncing on her father.

Both father and daughter looked at the woman innocently, both with the same silly grin.

"Don't think **_that's_** going to get you two out of this." Sorano waited for her husband to stand up. Even after so many years, she still found it amazing at how much the two looked alike. They matched each other in height, strength, hair and eye color, but not speed. There was only one person who could **_almost_** keep up with Haruka in speed and that was her. '_But they both have that stupid grin,_' thought the older woman and then smiled softly. '_Damn that stupid grin!_'

"He started it," mumbled her daughter.

"Haruka," it took everything Sorano had in her not to laugh, but the smile gave her away, "You shouldn't have eaten your father's breakfast."

"Ye-" Before Kana could add his own comment, his wife added, "And **_you_** shouldn't have chased after her."

Haruka's father opened his mouth to object, but then thought better of it and just looked at his daughter accusingly.

"Come on you two. Haruka, have you finished packing yet?" She hated being the one to always bring up her daughter's departure, but if she didn't, the two in front of her surely wouldn't give it a second thought.

"Yes mother," Haruka replied, putting her father in a headlock while they made their way back to the castle.

The older woman sighed. They could be so childish at times, but it was their way of showing affection. She smiled to herself, '_Maybe she'll meet a nice girl at Princess Serenity's birthday,_' then softly chuckled, feeling sorry for the poor girl who'd win Haruka's affection.

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"Michiru, dear, this is Hoshi." Namiko introduced her daughter to the man in front of them.

The aqua haired girl looked up from her cup of tea and smiled at the man. His hair was jet black with dark eyes to match. The clothes he wore indicated his high status, or at least the high status of his family.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Hoshi shifted uncomfortably in front of the two woman drinking tea.

"Please, join us."

Michiru apologetically smiled at the poor young man. Her mother wouldn't let him leave until he announced his undying love for the Neptunian Princess. Hoshi nervously looked at mother and daughter, then took the seat next to Michiru.

"Excuse me, your majesty?" A messenger stood behind the Queen of Neptune waiting to be acknowledged.

"Yes?" replied Namiko, turning to address the man.

"The transporter will be ready for Princess Michiru this afternoon at 3:00." With that said, the messenger turned and made his leave.

"You're leaving? Where to?" asked Hoshi.

Michiru noted his soft, shy voice. "Queen Serenity is holding a week long ball for her daughter's birthday and wishes every princess to be there."

Hoshi looked at Michiru in awe; the way he was looking at her made her think of a small child looking into the window of a candy store. "You're going to the Moon Kingdom for Princess Serenity's sixteenth birthday?

The aqua haired princess nodded.

"I'm sorry." Hoshi blushed. "I've never been to such a place, but I've heard wonderful things about it."

"Why don't you go with my daughter and be her escort?" The suggestion surprised both her daughter and the dark haired man.

"I would love such an opportunity," he looked at Michiru and noted her shock as well, which thankfully eased his guilt, "but I have a… friend I must see to back home." He smiled at both woman and stood. "In fact, I must be on my way now. I hope to see you again, Princess Michiru. I'm sure we will become great friends."

"I'm sure we will." The princess gave Hoshi a gentle smile before she too stood and hugged the young man good bye.

The princess had many suitors, but none stirred any feelings deeper than friendship. She didn't mind the attention, but she was beginning to feel the brute force of loneliness. That, and her mother's persistence in finding her a husband.

"He seems like a very nice boy."

Michiru nodded as she watched the young man walk away. If her mother thought she was at least somewhat interested in Hoshi, then maybe she would hold off any more suitors.

"Come on dear, we should see if all your things are packed." The Neptunian Queen rose from her seat and made her way towards her daughter's bedroom.

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"Can you believe Usagi's going to be **_sixteen_**?" The young, blonde princess stopped brushing her hair in order to look at her friend in the mirror. The other girl was laying on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"**_We're_** sixteen," sighed Rei, knowing exactly what that meant.

"I know. But now Usagi's mother will let her pick a suitor!"

The raven haired girl winced at the word. "Yea." The word was harsher than she'd expected.

Setting the brush down, Minako turned to look at her friend. "We can't. You know that. Not anymore."

"What do you mean 'we can't'! You have a brother who can rule Venus. And my parents love you… they wouldn't… they'd understand." Rei bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering.

"Rei…"

"Do you love me?" The Princess of Mars abruptly sat up and was now facing the young blonde. The girl in question didn't meet Rei's stare, instead she turned her eyes to the floor.

Minako's mother had found out about Rei and herself long ago. She hadn't objected to such things then, but now that they were older, her mother had started looking for suitors. At first, Minako didn't know what was wrong. They were the goddesses of love, weren't they? That's what she had asked her mother, what she used to fight against her mother's rising disapproval. But one night her mother had come into her bedroom and talked to her. She had told her how the Inner Senshi held a strong bond and what would happen if such a bond were to be severed for any reason, for example, a broken relationship. She also explained the powers each Senshi held and what might happen if they were to collide; how much destruction it might cause.

'_But love could never do such a horrible thing,_' thought the young Goddess of Love.

Minako was surprised to find a small wet droplet on the carpeted floor. And then another. Looking up, Minako was expecting to find Rei crying, but instead she found herself looking into Rei's guilty eyes. _She _was crying.

"I…" The blonde hiccupped and was unable to give any real response, but for Rei, it was enough. For now.

"Come here," the raven haired girl said gently. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed."

Minako willingly slipped into Rei's comforting arms. '_Mother has to be wrong,_' thought the sobbing girl. '_She has to be._'

"Honey?" Rei's mother quietly opened the door to her daughter's room. Cautiously peeking her head into the room, Umeko's heart almost broke when she saw the two girls. '_Fate can be so cruel,_' thought the older woman. Making sure to not be found out, Umeko softly closed the door and turned to the maid who had followed.

"Let's give them a little more time. I don't think they're quite finished packing. You may want to tell them to delay the transporter for a few minutes," she said, smiling to the woman.

"Awe, we girls can never make things easy, can we?"

Umeko forced a smile at the joke. _'No, it seems we can't,_' she thought to herself.

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The tall brunette leaned against the wall, arms folded in front of her chest. "Ami, what's taking you so long?"

"I…" BANG! The clatter of books only made the waiting brunette grin more.

"You…?" questioned Makoto

"I-" Some shuffling could be heard through the open doorway. "Can't find… EEP!" Makoto guessed more books had fallen.

'_Poor girl,_' thought Makoto, her mischievous grin widening. Sticking both hands in her pockets, a soft chuckle escaped the brunette as her right hand touched the cool metal object.

"What's so funny?" Ami's head poked out of the room, her short blue hair tousled from the many book avalanches.

Makoto's eyes flew open. '_How did she… when did she…?_' The surprised girl looked at her friend curiously then closed her eyes. "We're going to be late. Usagi said to be there at 3 o'clock."

Ami sighed. "I know, I know. I suppose we should go."

Makoto reached down for Ami's bags as the two made their way to the transporter.

"Where are your things?" The blue haired princess asked her friend.

"With all your searching, I had time to drop off my stuff early."

Ami blushed at the comment.

Once the two arrived at the transporting room, Makoto handed the bags over to a waiting man. She glanced at the smaller girl next to her who seemed to still be pondering over where the lost object was.

"Hey Ames?"

"Yes?"

"What were you looking for anyways?"

"I was looking for the planner you ga-" Ami stopped short of finishing her sentence when she noticed Makoto's sly smirk, her curious gaze slowly turning into a glare. "Makoto…"

The taller girl slowly pulled the 'lost' object from her right pocket, but before the blue haired princess could even see it, she softly hit the girl in the arm.

"I thought I lost it!"

Makoto grinned. "I wanted to see what you had planned."

Ami could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as she took the electric planner from the brunette.

"Princess Ami, Princess Makoto, the transporter is ready," announced an older man.

As the two young princesses followed the man to the transporter, Makoto whispered into the smaller girl's ear, "The password was kind of easy though."

Ami's eyes widened as she remembered the password she had set; the name of Jupiter's young princess.

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Hotaru lay on her stomach, her head resting in her folded arms as she watched the other girl sit up. The skin of the girl's back tempted her lips. She watched in awe as the sitting girl rotated her shoulders causing back muscles to flex. Reaching out, Hotaru trailed a finger down the girl's spine.

'_So strong._' Looking up, her purple eyes met with dark sapphire ones.

"You're mother's going to be here soon," whispered the dark eyed girl.

Sitting up, Hotaru wrapped her arms around the girl, her bare chest pressing against the girl's back. "Mitsu," murmured Hotaru into the girl's ear.

The taller girl shuddered and closed her eyes. "Hm?"

"She was already here."

Mitsu laughed softly and stood up. Walking towards the dark wooden dresser, Mitsu picked up the bandage wrap and turned to her lover.

"Would you?" The girl asked, her boyishly cut hair sticking every which way.

Giving the purple eyed beauty the wrap, Mitsu lifted her arms into the air. As Hotaru was finishing binding the taller girl's chest, a slender woman slowly opened the door.

"You two better dress quickly, or you'll be late for the ball," warned Hotaru's mother. "Mitsu, I had a suit made for you. It should be packed with your other things."

The dark haired girl nodded at the older woman. "Thank you."

Leaving the two girls alone, Ayame gently closed the door. Hotaru's destiny pained her so, and if Mitsu made her daughter happy then she'd be damned if she were the one to take her away. Even if it wasn't long enough, it was the only thing she felt she could give her daughter.

"Do you think your brother will be there?" Hotaru started buttoning the white shirt Mitsu had pulled on.

"I've heard rumors of a romance between him and Princess Serenity."

Hotaru nodded. She too had heard of such things. And she, like everyone else, knew Earth wasn't on the best terms with the other planets. Especially the Moon. Once done with the taller girl's shirt, Hotaru embraced the girl, resting her head on Mitsu's shoulder.

"It's not your fault for such disagreements."

Mitsu stared out a window. "If my mother would have done what Queen Serenity asked and hadn't interfered, there wouldn't be any disagreements."

"But Endymion is older. It wouldn't have mattered. Even if your mother had let her awaken your inner power, Earth still wouldn't have had a Sailor Senshi."

The tomboy shook her head, her short hair falling into her eyes. "But she defied her. Every planet has a protector and my mother found herself unable to present me, even for a false cause merely because father was killed."

"Maybe." Hotaru paused. "But she sent you here."

"Because, for some reason, our mothers have some sort of bond."

"**_Because_** we share a similar fate. And, if your mother hadn't sent you here, I might've never met you."

Mitsu smiled at the girl in her arms. "If those boys would've had a brain cell to tell them not to pick on such a small girl, you wouldn't have ever talked to me.

The shorter girl smiled at the memory. Ever since Mitsu had beaten up the two older boys when they were kids, she made it her point to protect the smaller girl for a reason neither understood until they were older.

"Always my protector." '_And yet I'll destroy us all,_' she silently added.

Sensing the girl's sudden sorrow, Mitsu gently lifted her lover's chin and looked into her eyes. "Only because you're forced to." Leaning down, Mitsu softly kissed Hotaru. "I think we'd better get dressed."


	2. Chapter One: Re Introduced

**Chapter One: Re- Introduced**

After many spontaneous fights between father and daughter, Haruka's mother found herself almost pushing her daughter into the transporter.

"Prince..." the man paused and looked down at the sheet of paper he held. "…ess of Uranus?"

The Princess grinned at the confused man and nodded.

"Princess Serenity requested to meet with all the princesses before the ball. Yomi will show you to your room."

The small woman bent down to pick up Haruka's bag, but was stopped by the taller girl's words. "Such a beautiful woman shouldn't have to carry bags."

Yomi blushed and didn't dare look at the handsome woman in fear of more embarrassing, yet pleasant, compliments. Easily lifting her heavy bags, Haruka followed the other woman through the enormous white castle.

"Where does the Princess wish to meet with everyone?"

"She asked for everyone to make themselves comfortable and then go to the dining hall."

Haruka chuckled. "Awe, our Princess Usagi always finds herself in her utmost glory while in the dining hall."

Yomi giggled softly as she motioned to the two large oak doors now in front of them. "Your room, Princess."

"Thank you. And if I ever get lost, I will make it my point to ask for you personally," Haruka grinned at the embarrassed girl. She couldn't help herself. It just, slipped.

Slightly bowing, Yomi turned and nearly tripped trying to run from the tall princess in embarrassment.

Haruka softly laughed as she watched the retreating figure. Turning her attention back to the doors before her, the young princess went into what would be her room for the next week. The room was blue with a gold trim. A bed matching the colors of the room was elegantly placed against a wall, while an open window leading to a balcony let in the after noon breeze. Glancing at her watch, Haruka set her things down and quickly changed. She didn't want to be too late or she'd have to wait until the ball to eat. After running her fingers through her hair, the teal eyed girl quickly made her way to the dinning hall.

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It was easy for Haruka to find her way to the designated room. All she had to do was follow the loud squealing and giggling of girls. Bowing in the doorway, the tall girl made herself known. "Meatball head."

The mentioned girl's head shot up from her plate of food at the greeting. "Haruka!"

Running towards the tall girl, Usagi wrapped her arms around the still bowing princess. When the sandy haired girl pulled up from the bow, the blonde's eyes grew wide when she noticed how much her friend had grown.

"You've gotten so tall!"

"And you're still a meatball head," laughed Haruka.

As both girls made their way to where the other princesses sat, while Usagi made sure everyone knew each other. "You remember Rei and Minako?"

Haruka nodded at the two and noted how close they sat.

"And I'm sure you and Makoto know each other."

Again Haruka nodded and smiled at the brunette. The two tall princesses usually found themselves sparring against each other in their free time during such long balls.

"Hello Ami." The Princess of Uranus smiled at the blue haired girl sitting next to Makoto.

Ami smiled shyly. "Hello Haruka."

The last time Haruka had seen the Mercurian Princess, she had made it her duty to point out Makoto's flirty teasing. Poor Ami almost fainted with embarrassment. Or relief. She wasn't quite sure.

"And last but not least is Michiru." Usagi sat down and returned her attention to the food after announcing the last person.

Haruka's eyes fell silently on the Neptunian Princess. It had been years since they had last seen each other.

'_Six,_'thought the tall girl, '_Six years._'

"Haruka." The aqua haired girl looked up at the figure who was now sitting down across from her.

"Michiru."

'_Gods she beautiful._' Haruka couldn't take her eyes off the young woman.

Michiru's eyes wandered over the taller girl's body. '_It's been so long,_' she thought to herself.

"Still the reckless tomboy I see." The words were voiced before she thought better of it.

"Reckless tomboy?" Haruka's eyes went cold at the comment. The last time she'd heard those words they were being shouted by an enraged Neptunian Queen, while two little girls scurried to cover themselves.

Michiru's heart heavily sank in her chest. She hadn't meant to say that. In reality, it was the last thing she had ever wanted to say to her old… friend?

'_Yes, friend,_' her mind thought.

'_But we were closer than friends,_' Michiru silently argued, '_We…_'

'_Reckless tomboy? Is that what she thinks of me?_' Haruka looked questioningly at the girl and was surprised to find her deep in her own thoughts. '_Maybe not._'

"Hey Haruka, you think we'll have time to spar?" The sudden question broke the princess's train of thought.

The tall girl grinned at the brunette. "Learn something new?"

Makoto nodded and went on to talk about how she'd been training with Jupiter's army, but Haruka found herself only half listening, glancing at the aqua haired princess every now and then. And from time to time, Haruka would fine herself looking into eyes as deep as Neptune's ocean.

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A little while later Queen Serenity had told the girls they had better get washed and ready for the ball. At the mentioning of the ball, Usagi had jumped from her chair and ran to her bedroom. The other girls laughed, but followed suit.

Michiru was about to make her leave like the others, but an unanswered question kept nagging at the back of her mind. "Queen Serenity?"

"Yes Michiru?"

"Wasn't every princess supposed to show up early?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"What about the Princess of Saturn?"

"Hotaru?"

Michiru nodded. She had seen and talked to the other princesses many times before. She'd even once seen Haruka on a daily basis long ago, but she had only met the young Saturn Princess once when they were children.

"Her mother sent a message saying she and her escort would be late. I'm sure you'll see her at the ball tonight."

Smiling, Michiru bowed her head. "Thank you."

"No need for such formality, now go get ready," laughed the Queen shooing the girl.

Michiru nodded and left for her bedroom.

"Mitsu will be with her," The Keeper of Time said from behind the Queen.

"I know."

The tall woman laid a hand on her Queen's shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"Maybe, but I still feel for the poor girl. Being exiled from your own planet…" Serenity brought the hand on her shoulder to her cheek. "Maybe it's for the better. Love and destiny never seem to match for a Sailor Senshi."

Setsuna pulled her hand away from the woman in front of her. "No, no they don't."

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Michiru elegantly walked down the curved staircase; one hand grazed the wooden handrail while the other lifted the long gown she wore. She hadn't come with an escort, and to her relief, neither had the other princesses. Near the last few steps, Michiru noticed a handsome person waiting at the bottom. They wore white pants and a white button up shirt underneath a gold trimmed jacket. The rest of the jacket matched the navy blue, knee high boots they had on. A sword rest lazily on their left hip and swayed slightly when the sandy haired person bowed.

"It would be an honor if you were to share your first dance with me." Teal eyes pierced through her when the suspected person raised her head.

"Only if you ease my guilt." Michiru took the offered hand and was led to where others already danced.

"Hm, and what can a 'reckless tomboy' do to ease your guilt?"

Michiru winced at the words. "I suppose I deserve that."

"I suppose you do."

"I'm sorry."

Haruka looked down at the girl she danced with and decided it better not to touch on the still tender memories. "How have you been?"

Michiru didn't know how to answer the question honestly and didn't want to consider the reason why. Instead, she rested her head on the taller girl's shoulder and let the handsome princess lead them through the soft music. It felt good to be in Haruka's arms again.

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"Princess Hotaru, the ball has already begun. Taku will show you to your bedroom and the ball room." The man looked at the princess who had just arrived and at the young escort next to her. "I'm sorry, but we weren't aware Queen Ayame requested two bedrooms. We can have a room ready for you in a few moments, Sir."

"Thank you, but my mother only requested one." The young princess smiled at the somewhat embarrassed man.

"Yes princess."

Mitsu gathered the bags and then followed a few steps behind the princess. The taller girl was relieved to find the walk from the transporter to their room quite fast. Hotaru might seem like the type of girl who didn't need much, but she always brought more things than necessary when away from home.

"Your bedroom, Princess and the ball room is right through those doors." The older man indicated two large white doors at the end of the hallway.

"Thank you very much," said the princess as the man bowed and left.

Standing in front of the doors, Hotaru turned to look at her escort. "Well?"

"Well what?" asked Mitsu, who was about to drop the bags at any second.

"Aren't you going to open the door for your princess?" giggled the purple eyed girl.

"Hotaru, if you don't open the door…" warned Mitsu.

After opening the door, the smaller girl looked back at the young escort and was about to say something when a bag was shoved into her hand. "What kind of escort makes their princess carry her own bags?" Hotaru huffed.

"Bag," corrected the grinning girl. "And that's **_my_** bag. If it were one of yours, you wouldn't be standing right now."

Ignoring the last comment, Hotaru closed the door and shuffled through a bag and looked at the girl impatiently. "We're going to be late."

Mitsu laughed. "We're already late."

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Michiru and Haruka found themselves with the other princesses, with the exception of Usagi, after a very long first dance. The five girls sat on a couch while Haruka was left leaning against the wall. When two figures appeared at the top of the staircase, all the princesses found themselves curious to know who they were.

A girl, who Michiru guessed was Princess Hotaru, gracefully walked down the staircase with an escort on her right. The young princess wore a loose fitting lavender gown, its low neckline showing off a golden locket. Her dark hair was short, just above her shoulders, but her eyes were what stood out the most. Something about them made Michiru feel uneasy. Looking up at Haruka, she noticed the girl was studying something on the escort, but couldn't figure out what, still, the look in her eyes told the aqua haired girl she wasn't alone with the odd feeling. Turning her attention back at the two new comers, Michiru noted the escort wore the same colors as the princess; a dark lavender suit with a lavender cape as well. On the clasp that held the cape together, Saturn's symbol was carved in gold. None of the princesses said anything as they watched the two figures make their way to Queen Serenity.

"I'm sorry to be so late." Hotaru and Mitsu bowed in front of the Queen.

"It's fine. You're here now, so please enjoy yourselves. However, I think the other princesses would like to meet with you before the night is over. I'm sure my daughter would be delighted to know you're here, but it seems she's gone off with a young man. As for the other girls, they all seem to be sitting with each other."

Both girls turned to follow where Queen Serenity was pointing.

"Well, I won't bore you two any longer. Have fun."

After giving their thanks and again apologizing, Mitsu offered her hand to the Saturn Princess and lead them through the dancing crowd. "I suppose we should meet with the other princesses?"

Hotaru nodded. "I haven't seen any of them for so long."

Mitsu couldn't help but smile. "Nervous?"

"A little," admitted the small girl.

When the two had finally arrived at the couch where the other princesses sat, they were slightly taken aback by the conversation.

"I mean it. If I did all that stuff and wore a suit, I bet I could easily pass as a prince."

"Makoto, you have to have a certain… thing to be able to do it, right Haruka?"

Haruka scratched the back of her head and grinned nervously. "Um, I've never really thought about it."

"Hello." Ami's greeting caused the arguing girls to notice the two figures in front of them.

"H-Hello. I'm s-sorry, are we interrupting?" The purple eyed girl looked at her lover and then the four surprised girls.

Ami smiled at the shy girl. "No, not at all. I'm Ami and this is Makoto, Minako, Rei, Michiru and Haruka."

"My name's Hotaru and this is Mitsu."

"It's nice to meet you both."

"It's nice to meet you too." Hotaru made sure to look at all the girls

"You must be the Princess of Saturn. Mitsu, are you from Saturn as well?" asked Michiru.

"No." There wasn't any use lying since her sapphire eyes made it obvious she wasn't born on the planet.

"Though maybe one day," Hotaru added before too many questions were asked, then quickly changed the subject. "Do you have escorts as well?"

All the girls blushed for their own reason except Haruka, who felt the answer was obvious for her.

Minako wrapped an arm around the raven haired girl's neck sitting next to her. "Well, I thought I'd save Rei and myself some trouble, so I made her my escort."

"What?" Re looked at the blonde as if she were crazy.

Minako just smiled sweetly at the girl who in turn sighed in defeat.

"Makoto and I came together," explained Ami. "I mean, from my castle. Neither of us escorted the other. We just came together. See, Mako-chan spent the night and-" The stuttering girl's rambling was cut short by Minako's constant giggling which only caused poor Ami's blush to deepen.

Mitsu looked at Haruka and Michiru. "Did you two come together?"

"Huh?" The taller girl looked down at the other princess and coughed lightly. "No. We didn't."

Mitsu looked around at all the anxious girls. "Is everyone-" Her sentence was cut short by an elbow to the ribs.

Feeling the glare from her lover, the young escort forced a smile at the confused girls. "It was a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope you don't mind, but," holding out a hand, Mitsu addressed the girl next to her, "would you care to dance?"

"I'd love to." After taking her lovers hand, Hotaru turned to the girls sitting on the couch. "It was nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll see each other through out the week."

Swiftly moving onto the dancing floor, the two were soon lost in the sea of people, leaving four inner princesses quietly wondering what Mitsu was going to ask, while the two older girls were thinking about something else.


	3. Chapter Two: Rising Questions

**Chapter Two: Rising Questions**

The ball had ended hours ago, yet Michiru couldn't pull herself from the beautiful garden. It was filled with red roses and a single white bench facing the blue planet not too far away. Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, she let the night breeze caress her face. The garden was too quiet and thoughts began to intrude the young girl's mind.

Had she not thought about Haruka since that day? No, she hadn't. It had been too painful to think about the sandy haired tomboy. She had pushed that day to the back of her mind, somewhere she hadn't been for years. And what about the days before it had all come to a crashing halt? Did she forget about them as well? No. She didn't forget anything, but those days only made the end seem that much more painful. As a child, she never forgave her mother for what she had done; it was too cruel an act to be forgiven. Yet, as a young woman, as she stood surrounded by roses, it might have been cruel but it was also understandable.

'_Understandable? Have you forgotten what she did? She took the only person close to you away! I thought you loved her!_' the little girl inside Michiru's mind shouted.

'_Do I? We were twelve, only children. You can't possibly fall in love at such a young age._'

'_Why not? She thought so.' _

Michiru was at a loss, but quickly disregarded the question. '_It doesn't matter. We're **Princesses** for god's sake! My mother expects me to marry a nice young man to help me rule and protect Neptune.'_

'_She only wants you to marry a young man so you wont marry her. She's just jealous because she couldn't marry her real lover!'_

The accusation made Michiru's eyes fly open. Is that what she really thought, that her mother was jealous? She had seen her mother with the other Queen, but dismissed anything that would indicate a deeper relationship than close friends. After all, the two had fought side by side since they were young teenagers. They had to have a strong relationship in order to protect the Inner Kingdoms, right?

'_They were partners. They had to be close. It's not like anything happened between them._' Michiru sighed when the explanations failed to bring any contradiction.

The aqua haired girl rubbed her head hoping to dull the growing headache. Thinking sleep was the answer to the increasing throbbing, the young princess made her way back to the castle. On arriving at the tall white doors, two guards bowed before letting her in. Candles lined the walls, allowing anyone still awake to find their way in the darkness. The castle was completely silent except for the sound of fighting.

'_Who in their right mind would fight at this time of night?_' Following the noise, Michiru was led to a large empty room.

Cautiously peering around the open door, the elegant girl found two tall figures bow and begin to fight. Both fighters were well trained, but no matter how much the young girl strained her eyes, she couldn't make out who they were. The candle light shadowed their faces and their quick movements made it extremely hard to make anything out, but she was able to tell both were women. Michiru studied the two and was easily able to find the difference in their fighting techniques. The fighter with a pony tail was strong and quick, but depended more on her strength. When she went to attack she would try to hit as hard as she could, but doing so took whatever speed she had away. The other fighter, the one with short hair, was fast. _**Very** _fast. It was easy for her to dodge the other girl's attacks and it also seemed she was much more skilled. When she finally took the initiative to attack, it was fast and hard. She obviously figured out how to balance strength and speed, allowing her to have an easy win.

"Damn," swore the fallen fighter. "You never hold back do you Haruka?"

Michiru's body tensed.

The sandy haired girl walked over to the brunette. "I hate when people hold back."

Makoto nodded. "Thanks."

Hastily, Michiru ran past the open doorway hoping not to be noticed. She didn't know why, but at that moment, she really didn't want to run into Haruka who would be hot and sweaty. At the thought of the tall girl's current state, Michiru quickened her run not stopping until she was out of breath and in bed.

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After helping the brunette up, Haruka looked to the open doorway. "Did you hear something?"

Makoto shook her head. "Nope."

"Hm."

"Why, do you have a bad feeling?" The Princess of Jupiter looked at the taller girl a little worried.

"No, it was probably just a guard." Haruka smiled reassuringly. "We should probably pack up before it gets any later."

Makoto nodded in agreement. "I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks again." After waving to her sparring partner, the princess walked off to take a warm shower to ease her aching muscles.

On the way to her bedroom, Haruka stopped at the door Makoto had said was Michiru's, but then thought better of it and kept walking. There were so many things still left unanswered. Did Michiru agree with her mother? Had it all been just some phase brought on by a reckless tomboy? Or had it been more? When the letter addressing Princess Serenity's birthday had come asking for all the princesses, the first thought that came to the girl's mind was seeing Michiru. It had been the reason she ignored getting ready to leave. She had too many doubts about the other girl and after everything they did together, it seemed a little awkward to approach her as just another acquaintance. When the aqua haired girl accepted the dance, it took Haruka a little by surprise. She had been expecting a look of disapproval from her. Even though that first dance had lasted quite a while, it had been the only dance they shared. After the Princess of Saturn and her escort introduced themselves, Haruka found herself a little uneasy. There was something about them. It was nothing bad, but something wasn't right either. Before the tall princess had been able to recover from the feeling, Michiru had gone off somewhere.

Sighing, Haruka tossed her sweaty clothes to the side and fell back onto her bed. Why did things have to be so complicated? Rolling to her stomach, the tall girl groaned into her pillow.

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Yawning, Mitsu slipped into bed where Hotaru already lay. It had been more than a stressful night. Apart from the tension that came from being anywhere close to her brother, the way one of those princesses looked at her was unnerving.

"What was her name?" the young girl asked out loud.

Hotaru snuggled into the girl's arms. "Who's?"

"That princess. The one standing, she had short blonde hair."

"I think it was Haruka."

"Hm."

"Why?" Purple eyes looked at the taller girl curiously.

Smiling, Mitsu brushed off the subject. "No reason."

"Mmk." Yawning, Hotaru nestled closer to the other girl.

Something wasn't right in Mitsu's mind. The way every princess had acted towards each other seemed like they were lovers, but that wasn't possible, was it? Then a thought struck her. Her own mother had never met the Queen of Saturn. When Mitsu was told to pack for Saturn, she had asked her mother questions about the planet, but was never given any answers. The queen merely smiled and told the little girl that she'd never been there. Mitsu was slightly taken aback by such a thought, but found herself at a complete loss when her mother then told her she had never even met the queen. How could she have never met Queen Ayame? An answer that Mitsu didn't want to hear tugged at her heart.

'_Someone didn't want them to meet._' Suddenly everything seemed like a never ending rabbit hole as little details slowly emerged. Were the previous princesses in love with each other too? The question brought up small things Mitsu had never thought twice about. Queen Setsuna was always by Queen Serenity's side and more so after the Queen's husband died. And why wasn't Setsuna married? Wasn't she expected to? Before more questions could surface, a poke to the ribs stopped the girl's train of thought.

"You're thinking again," accused the smaller girl.

"Sorry," laughed Mitsu.

"Mhm. It's late, go to bed before I make you."

"Really? And how would you do that?"

Hotaru slowly ran her fingers up the girl's stomach and lightly traced the base of her right breast.

"Oh," the soft word was muffled by a kiss making everything Mitsu had been thinking about dissolve.

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It was way too early as far as Haruka was concerned and yet there she was, following some mysterious song she guessed was being played on a violin. The song was quite beautiful but at the same time, full of sorrow. Her plan was to compliment the musician and then wring their neck. Who was up at seven anyways? Looking around, Haruka found herself in a large courtyard filled with many different colored flowers. In front of a fountain, a young woman stood delicately pushing then pulling a bow across strings, her body slightly swaying with the soft music. Every movement was carefully planned before it was preformed. It made her think of the young princess only a few feet away. To Haruka's disappointment, the song came to a desolate end.

"That's no way to end such a beautiful piece." Walking towards the girl, Haruka sat on the edge of the fountain.

Blue-green eyes looked up at the intruder as she put her violin away. "Not everything has a happy ending."

Haruka met the smaller girl's gaze. "Only if you don't try."

"And if there's nothing to try on?"

"Then I'm a fool."

Sitting next to the taller girl, Michiru sighed. "Princess Hotaru and her escort, there was something off about them, wasn't there?"

"I wouldn't say really say 'off', but yes, they are hiding something."

"Last night, when they were walking down the stairs, what were you looking at?"

Haruka turned to look at the girl next to her. "Doesn't Mitsu remind you of anyone?"

The aqua haired girl thought about the young escort. Who did she know that was tall, had dark sapphire eyes, short black hair…? "Prince Endymion." The name was barely a whisper.

"When they were walking down the stairs, I noticed the sword she was wearing..."

'_I thought so,_' Michiru said silently, thinking about the escort's gender.

"… Its sheath didn't match her outfit nor did it have any colors that represent Saturn. When the two came over to introduce themselves, I was able to see the sword's sheath in detail. It wasn't an off black like I had thought, it was actually just a deep blue and the sun was carved on the handle of the sword."

"Is she Endymion's sister? I thought she was killed."

"I'm not sure, but she is from Earth." Haruka sighed and then added with a smirk, "And by the way princess, no one born on Saturn would have sapphire eyes. I think you've fallen behind with your studies."

Michiru glared at Haruka which only made the grin widen. Standing up, the Neptunian Princess turned to face the other girl, leaning so close that their faces were only inches apart.

"You should know to never upset a woman when she has the upper hand." Michiru's breath tickled the shocked girl's face.

"W-w-what?"

Smiling, the smaller girl laid her hands on Haruka's shoulders and then shoved the girl back into the water. Michiru was about to leave, but something gripped at her heart. The tall princess should've gotten out of the water by now. Had she pushed her too hard? Did she hit her head on something? Why hadn't she surfaced for air yet? Quite worried and filled with guilt, Michiru bent over the edge of the fountain to look for the lost girl when a hand suddenly sprung up and grabbed her shirt. With a quick jerk, the young princess found herself underwater. Gasping for air the smaller girl looked around for the person who pulled her in, but only caught a glanceof a retreating Haruka.

'_I'm going to **kill** her!_' thought Michiru.

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After changing out of her soaked close and taking a quick shower, Michiru made her way to the dining hall where the other princesses were already eating breakfast. Even Haruka.

'_How'd she…?_'

"How was your swim?"

Michiru looked at the blue haired princess confused.

"Haruka told us you were swimming and that you'd be a little late," explained Ami.

"Oh, did she? How sweet of her," the aqua haired girl forced a smile in the direction of the real cause to her tardiness.

"You remember Hotaru and Mitsu from last night don't you?" asked Ami.

"Yes, it's nice to see you two again." The Neptunian Princess smiled at the two girls.

Michiru sat quietly as the girls around her talked, but made sure to smile and nod at the right moments, not wanting to seem rude. She couldn't help but compare Mitsu to Prince Endymion. Now that she sat across from the girl, she was amazed at how much the two looked alike. She had met Endymion quite a few times at the other balls but he and Usagi would usually make their leave before too long. She noted that the two had similar features, but Mitsu's were much softer, yet her eyes showed something else. Could Mitsu really be Prince Endymion's sister? If she was, many things needed explaining. Why wouldn't Queen Serenity mention such a huge factor?

"Is it true that you play the violin?" Hotaru asked.

Michiru blinked a few times before realizing the question was directed at her. "Yes, I do."

The young princess's eyes widened. "Really?"

Michiru nodded and smiled at the girl's amazement. "Are you interested?"

"Yes, but I can't find anyone to teach me." The purple eyed girl smiled sadly.

"If you'd like, I could teach you."

"Really? I'd be very grateful."

"How about we meet in the courtyard at noon?"

Hotaru nodded enthusiastically then turned to her lover happily. Mitsu laughed at her excited girlfriend then looked to the young woman across from her, smiling appreciatively.

'_They have the same smile,_' noted Michiru.

Next to the Neptunian Princess sat a very silent Minako looking longingly at the two lovers then sadly around at everyone else. '_Are we all destined to the same fate?_'

Minako couldn't bare such a thought. As the Princess of Venus she was suppose to advocate following your heart to true love, instead she was forced to sit mutely next to the only person who would ever hold hers. She looked at the raven haired girl to her left, who at the time was arguing with Usagi.

'_Don't be so weak,_' Minako ordered herself, but when Rei smiled at her, everything became a blurry mess.

"I'm sorry," choked the blonde as she quickly left the table.

Rei sat there feeling like her heart had just been ripped out. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't seem to move, let alone breathe. Did she do something wrong? The raven haired girl could feel everyone's eyes on her, but all she could do was watch the retreating figure.


	4. Chapter Four: Realizations

**Chapter Three: Realizations**

Michiru sat blinking at the now vacant seat next to her. What had just happened? Taking a look around the table, no one seemed to be paying any attention to where the troubled girl had run off to. Instead, they were all watching Rei with sad eyes, except Haruka. The sandy haired girl seemed to have a stern look on her face. It took Michiru a few seconds to realize that she wasn't even looking at Rei; she was looking past her to where Minako had fled.

'_She looks almost… angry,_' thought Michiru.

The sound of Haruka's chair being pushed back broke the deafening silence. "Breakfast was great, but there're things I need to do."

"Haruka?" The older girl's seriousness worried Usagi.

"Don't worry muffin head." Haruka walked away in the opposite direction Minako had without a backward glance.

"I think I'd better go too." Rei quietly added, stood and left, undoubtedly to find the blonde princess. Usagi looked at the remaining girls, not quite sure what to do.

"Would anyone like to go for a walk through the garden?" asked Makoto, trying to ease the awkward tension.

Ami, Hotaru, and Mitsu all agreed it was a lovely morning for a walk and though Usagi agreed, she excused herself for a prior engagement.

"What about you, Michiru? Any prior engagements?" asked the tall brunette.

Michiru laughed softly. "I'm afraid so, but thank you for the offer." Smiling, the aqua haired girl said her good-bye's then left to search for a certain tall, sandy haired princess.

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Haruka's movements were swift and fluid. A droplet of sweat made its decent down the girl's face as her punches and kicks cut through the air. Her lungs burned, but it was nothing compared to the fire in her teal eyes. The way Minako had left Rei alone and confused hit a tender spot in the tall fighter. She knew why the Princess of Venus would do such a thing, but it didn't justify the girl's actions, not in Haruka's mind.

'_If she even thinks about coming to me after_-' a faint cough shattered the girl's thought.

Even with her back to the doorway, Haruka had an idea of who it was. "Look Minako, you need to grow up. You didn't really think that after you two got together that everything would be 'happily ever after' did you?"

Michiru's mouth hung open, about to say something, but she seemed to be at a loss of words. What was she suppose to think? Haruka knew Rei and Minako were together, which when she thought about it, was quite obvious, but the way she said it made her sound so cold. But then again, nothing's ever easy, especially love.

"Haruka?"

'_That's not Minako's voice._' Turning around, Haruka found a somewhat edgy Michiru.

"Oh." The word seemed inevitable and, at that moment, the only thing left in the taller girl's vocabulary.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you, but you seemed a little upset."

Shrugging off the concern, Haruka grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She wasn't in the best mood and something about Michiru being there made her want to use the wall as a sparring partner.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You don't seem-"

"I'm fine." Every word the other girl said struck something in the tall fighter, something that was very close to breaking.

'_She's acting like a child,_' thought the Neptunian Princess. "I'm certain they'll figure things out."

Haruka didn't bother with a reply and instead let out a short, sarcastic laugh.

'_What's her problem? She's acting like Minako had a choice!_'

"It's not like they have a future together."

The words were a slap to Haruka's face. Spinning around, teal eyes bore into blue. "We make our own future."

"We may think we do, but we don't. They're princesses. They have to marry, bare children and rule their kingdoms." The smaller girl tried to keep her composure, but with each passing second, it was slowly slipping away.

"Everything's a choice: to marry, to have children, everything."

"Are you that selfish in your wanting?"

"Love and want are two **_very_** different things," hissed the taller girl through clenched teeth.

"Does it matter? We have to protect our planets, our kingdoms and most importantly the Silver Millennium!"

"And how will love stop us from going about that task!"

"If someone threatened to kill me would you stop them, even if it meant betraying your Kingdom!"

"Yes!"

Michiru hadn't thought about the question, but the answer shook her core. When did they start talking about themselves? Had it always been about them? Was that why Haruka was so upset? The aqua haired girl's head spun and suddenly everything became bright before it quickly turned black.

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"Michiru?" Haruka looked at the said girl curiously. She hadn't meant to answer the question, but it all happened so fast. "Michiru!"

The smaller girl's body swayed then felt the full force of gravity pull it to the ground. Luckily with all the yelling, Haruka had ended up right in front of Michiru and was able to catch her before the floor did. Without a second thought, Haruka gently picked up the unconscious girl and went to get help.

"Setsuna!" The Keeper of Time stood leaning against a rail not too far away.

"Haruka? What happened? Is she alright?"

"I… I'm not sure."

"Here, follow me."

The two soon arrived at the sick room where a healer had already been called and was waiting. When Haruka laid Michiru on the bed as indicated, she noticed a gold chain around the smaller girl's neck. Pulling her arms out from under the girl's comatose body, a gold locket attached to the chain appeared from the front of Michiru's dress. Though the locket was made up of Uranus's colors, both Neptune's and Uranus's symbols were engraved on the front and below, the word **_forever_** was roughly carved too.

"Princess?"

Mumbling a 'sorry', Haruka tore her eyes away from the necklace and let the healer see to the Neptunian Princess. Waiting for the healer to say what had happened, the teal eyed girl looked down at her left palm where a small scar stared back. The beginning of a smile could be seen on the tall Uranian's lips as she thought of what caused the injury.

**Flashback**

A little girl sat in her room anxiously with a gold locket in her hands. She was able to buy the locket with her own money and then have her father engrave the two symbols on the front, but something was missing. She wanted something to show how she felt. An idea quickly popped into the tomboy's head. Taking a knife, she began carving in a word she thought would show the extent of her affection. The little girl was almost finished, but on the last letter the knife slipped and since she had to push down quite hard to write the word, she wasn't able to stop the blade from cutting her own skin. With a yelp, the little girl ran to her bathroom and hurriedly wrapped the new injury. The wrapping had soaked up the blood, but after giving the locket to a small aqua haired girl, it was at its limit and red liquid began dripping from the little girl's hand. Noticing the injury, the aqua haired girl washed the wound then tightly wrapped a blue cloth around the injury with enough strength to stop the bleeding.

**End Flashback**

"It's nothing serious. Princess Michiru seems to have gone into shock."

"What?" Haruka looked at the healer oddly.

"I'm sure you've gone into physical shock before?"

The sandy haired girl nodded.

"Well, as where physical shock comes from a sudden sharp pain, emotional shock comes from sudden emotional stress or a sudden release of built up emotions all at once. Like physical shock, the person becomes light headed and then passes out. It's nothing serious and I'm sure she'll wake up in a few minutes." Smiling at the two women, the healer took his leave to allow for some privacy.

The older woman turned to Haruka who was once again looking at her scar. "Do you mind waiting for her to wake up? Queen Serenity is holding a meeting I must attend."

Nodding, the young princess thanked Setsuna for the help and took a seat next to the bed where Michiru lay oblivious to her surroundings and Haruka's gaze.

'_I can't believe she kept it._' The taller girl sat looking at the locket while subconsciously rubbing the scar with her right thumb. So many things were running through her mind. Did Michiru feel she didn't have a choice? That she couldn't decide her own future? '_Maybe she's right. Maybe we just **think** we have a choice.'_

A soft groan stole Haruka's attention. "What happened?"

"Emotional shock."

"What?" The barely conscious girl sat up and suddenly found her head very light.

"Take it easy, you just passed out."

Moaning, the aqua haired girl fell back against the bed causing the locket to fall off her chest.

"What's in there?" asked Haruka.

"Does it matter?" Michiru quickly tucked the locket back under the front of her dress.

Before the taller girl could answer, Ami, Makoto, Mitsu and Hotaru walked into the room.

"Are you feeling ok?" The girl's purple eyes were wide with concern.

Michiru smiled. "I'm fine. Oh, did I miss our lesson?"

"No, it's only eleven, but I think that can wait until tomorrow."

The other princesses started walking towards the girl's bed asking if she was alright and what had happened. Figuring they should talk about it later in a more private place, Haruka made her way out of the room unnoticed. Sometimes it felt like love and destiny had two different paths for them that would never cross, but from time to time run parallel; so close they almost touched.

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Michiru tried her best to smile and answer all the questions being asked, but she couldn't stop her eyes from wandering towards the door where the taller girl had slipped out. The missing presence of the other girl made her heart ache, even if she wouldn't admit it. Right then all she needed was to be alone. Too many things were coming up from the past, things she thought she'd never have to deal with again. She had figured when the Queen called Haruka and herself to train, she would've been married and not have to deal with any of these budding feelings. Unfortunately, she never found any of the suitors her mother introduced her to interesting. Not one. To her relief, Ami suggested she rest and took the offered help to her bedroom graciously in fear of becoming light headed again.

Sighing, Michiru sat on the large bed and closed her eyes, her hand pressing against the locket hidden by her dress. Slowly pulling the gift from its hidden spot, she caressed the carved word.

'_She can be so careless sometimes. She's lucky she didn't need stitches._' The memory of a very young Haruka clumsily handing the golden locket to her, almost made her want to cry.

It was obvious Haruka still harbored the same feelings she did all those years ago and it was painfully evident that she too still had feelings. Unfortunately, time doesn't heal every wound. No matter which way Michiru looked at it, all the things her mother said made sense. She had sacrificed her own happiness in order to have Michiru and to protect Neptune. Somewhere deep down, Michiru knew it; she could see it in her mother's eyes every time she looked at her husband. It was a mix between regret, guilt, loyalty and love. Not a passionate love, but one of caring and friendship. A love you might share with a close friend or a sibling, not a lover. So that left only one question for the young princess. Is it worth it? Is giving up your happiness so others may live in theirs, worth it? She felt it should be, but something pulled at her heart…

A light knock made Michiru jump. She tried to push the question from her mind, but it seemed to hover around her, unwilling to disappear, like fog in the morning until the sun shines through…

When she opened the door she was greeted with two teal eyes that pierced through her heart and soul. Whatever composure she was able to muster was lost. Her body started to shake and no matter how hard she tried, the tears fell anyway, but she didn't have to worry about her legs giving way because two strong arms held her tightly to the other girl's chest.


	5. Chapter Five: Storms

**Chapter Four:Storms**

Mitsu stood on the balcony watching golden rays cover the evening sky, a sign that the next ball would soon start. A gently breeze blew through her short, dark hair, unable to carry away her thoughts.

"The wind has died down," Hotaru said from behind her escort. Wrapping her arms around the thinking girl, she laid her chin on Mitsu's shoulder. "I think they made up."

Only seconds after the sentence was uttered, a gust of wind hit the two girls' bodies. "That was… odd." The reply was muffled by the shirt the smaller girl's face was buried in.

Mitsu blinked a few times from the unexpected wind. "You ever get the feeling something bad is going to happen?"

Suddenly the sound of a wave carried by the wind and falling on itself could be heard. Fierce winds crashed against the castle like waves. The two princesses rushed into their room, their clothes damp from water lifted by the wind. Both girls looked at each other.

Mitsu eyed the glass doors curiously. "You don't think…"

A light knock cut off the question and the theory of the answer. Opening the door, the Princess of Saturn was met with a wide eyed Usagi.

"I think I'm going to cancel tonight's ball," was all the awe struck girl said before turning and leaving.

"You might want to warn your Prince," said Mitsu from inside the room.

Usagi froze then dashed off in the other direction. "Could you tell Haruka and Michiru about the ball for me!"

"Well, that worked out, didn't it?" Hotaru closed the door and found the other girl now very serious.

"If they did create this storm, then their elemental powers have surfaced."

'Her eyes look so dark.' Mitsu's eyes were on of the reasons Hotaru fell in love with her. No matter how well of an act she put on, and she could act, her eyes never lied. And right now, they were saying she knew something.

Hotaru stepped closer to the distant eyed girl. "What is it?"

Mitsu noticed the worried look and smiled. As far as she was concerned, Hotaru didn't need to know the outcome of the end of the Silver Millennium. For all she knew, the pink haired girl in her dreams would make her just as happy, if not more. From what she dreamt, they were very happy together. Whether or not they would fall in love was a mystery to her, but they seemed happy. At first the dreams had scared her. She didn't want to lose Hotaru, not to death and certainly not to anyone else. But her own end was too obvious to ignore. If Hotaru were to be reborn, like she was in her dreams, then she'd have to have a place to be born on. There would be no need for an Earth Sailor Senshi, at least, that's what she hoped.

"Mitsu?"

Though she had been looking at the Hotaru, she hadn't noticed her. Only now did she realize the girl in front of her was close to tears.

"Hotaru." She gently wrapped her arms around the small girl.

Hotaru shook her head against Mitsu's chest. "Don't ever do that again. Don't leave me like that… Don't leave me."

Mitsu softly kissed the top of the now crying girl's head. "Never."

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A streak of blonde hair rushed past Queen Serenity's door, who chuckled in turn. "I'm sure this storm caught my daughter and her Prince off guard," teased the older woman.

"It certainly is a powerful storm," replied the Keeper of Time.

Serenity nodded. "They're perfect for one another."

The older Queen watched her friend stare out a window, watched the emotions play across her face. Sadness, fear, frustration, loneliness, love and it was all directed towards her. Fear of losing her, frustration from not knowing what to do, sad for knowing the end, loneliness for all the years they couldn't have and now never would and a love that her lost King could never dare match. She hated seeing her like this. Setsuna would never turn her back on her, so instead she'd cut her off. She'd bottle her emotions, leaving her as cold as the planet she ruled. She had done it when she told her she was to get married, had done it when she told her she was pregnant and was doing it now that the end was coming. Yet they'd always find a way to put it behind them, to love each other in other ways. It was never enough though, she'd admit it, but it was better than losing her. And now that her husband had died, the end was to come. She was sad to hear of his death, the death of her child's father, but not heart broken and she had felt guilty for it. That is, until she had found his letter. He had said he'd known she loved him, but she was in love with someone else, whether she knew it or not, he was unsure. He'd thanked her for the love she'd shown him and told her to love who she'd really wanted. He was such a kind man, and she'd be damned to let his advice go unnoticed.

"Do you remember our storm?"

Setsuna turned to look at her Queen. She sat on her bed, the white gown she wore draping over the edge, her golden hair not far behind. She was smiling and inviting her to sit. She didn't want to, but her legs carried her to the bed. Her body never did want to obey when she was near Serenity. Those blue eyes were just too loving.

"I do."

Serenity's eyes sparkled. "My mother tried so hard to be serious."

Setsuna blushed. "I can't believe she laughed."

"It would've helped to have known you'd be the Keeper of Time."

"If I remember correctly, your power didn't exactly help either."

The smaller woman laughed. "Food was everywhere."

**Flash back**

The two princesses had just excused themselves from dinner and quickly made their way to a young Serenity's bedroom. It had probably been the Moon Princess's suggestive looks that had Setsuna practically dragging her the closed quarters. Sometime during Setsuna's "revenge", time had elapsed and forward itself. Unfortunately, it had decided to start itself to later that night when Serenity's mother had been searching for her daughter in what was, just a few seconds ago, an empty room.

"Mom!" Serenity gasped, both from surprise and a certain someone's tongue.

At that word, Setsuna's head flew up and glanced over her shoulder. She found herself eye to eye with the mother of the girl whose legs she'd previously had her head so elegantly placed between. In a haste to either run or cover herself, Setsuna rolled off the side of the bed. She'd forgotten about the side table. Her head gracefully hit the corner causing her to groan in pain.

"Oh god! Setsuna!" Serenity grabbed the sheet to cover themselves and rushed to her lover's side, her mother following close behind.

The taller girl tried to sit up, but was stopped by soft hands. "Don't move so fast dear. You've given yourself a pretty good cut." The older woman turned and smiled to her daughter. "So this was the 'Vital situation that needed your utmost attention'?"

Setsuna groaned from embarrassment. She was sure that if it weren't for the blood loss, she'd have been blushing five different shades of red by now.

Serenity's mother laughed and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. "Let's get you clothed and down to a healer. You may need stitches."

After bother girls had gotten dressed, the three went downstairs and were about to go through the kitchen as a short cut. To their astonishment, food, along with broken dishes of all sorts, littered the floor.

The older woman smiled at the two girls. "I hope you two have enough energy to help clean this mess up."

This time both girls groaned.

**End Flash Back**

"It's no mystery to where Usagi acquired her appetite. You ate most of the food rather than pick it up."

Serenity gave her an innocent look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Setsuna smiled and then gently kissed her old lover. She quickly pulled back. She hadn't meant to do that. Before she could say anything, soft lips were on her own. She gave in. After all, there really wasn't any use fighting it. She let Serenity ease her down onto the bed, while her hands roamed the older woman's back. Golden hair fell around the two queens; light mixed with dark, water with wind, life with death. And the storm raged on.


	6. Chapter 6: Suspicion Intro

**Chapter Six:** **Suspicion (Intro)**

Mitsu stood on the edge of eternity, or so it seemed to her. The dark caressed her body as she stared out at the blue orb. Only a sliver could be seen as day turned to night and night to day. The wind had died down and the waves ceased to crash upon each other. A kind of tranquility blanketed the Moon Kingdom. But there was still one storm that raged on silently.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why aren't you with Haruka?" Mitsu turned to face a sympathetic face that held unreadable eyes.

"Do I seem cowardly to you? Running away after she came to wipe away my tears." Michiru smiled softly and looked up towards the planet that had held the taller girl's attention for so long.

In any other situation Mitsu would've stayed calm. She would've looked at Michiru with understanding and said it was fine to run, that it was normal to be scared and that things like this just take time. But instead something inside of her went cold. There was no compassion to be found in her deep sapphire eyes, only anger. And sorrow.

"Excuse me. It seems to have gotten late. I'd hate for Hotaru to worry."

"That's quite understandable. You are her escort after all." The Neptunian Princess watched the boyish girl make her way back to the castle doors. "I love her, you know. I just need time."

"I know. Though in all honesty, your affair is none of my concern because you see, there's nothing I can do. I can't force you to follow your heart or deny it and I would never try to." The young escort finally ceased her stride and faced the aqua haired girl. "Tomorrow is never promised. Don't let feelings go unsaid."

Michiru stood there staring long after Mitsu had left. The young girl's words fell heavily on Michiru's heart. The way she had said it, made the Princess feel like the end was near.

'_I wont lose her. I just found her again.' _

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End file.
